Dan Croll’s Emerging Adulthood is a tribute to the cusp of adulthood [Review]
Dan Croll might not be the most original songwriter ever, but his second full-length album Emerging Adulthood shows the British singer delivering a range of powerful tracks.
One Of Us opens with a pounding beat and grungy guitars, while layered harmonies give a bright, poppy edge. Next is the driving, summery Bad Boy, which sounds like Foster The People on a sugar high.
Do You Have To? is rocking, with warped synth sounds and vocals reminiscent of pop rockers Athlete. Closer Tokyo is a big synth-pop tune which could have easily come from French indie band Phoenix. The best track is Educate, Croll belting “I just want to be just like you” over waves of synth and ’80s power pop.
The mood changes on 24, a slower, booming yet dreamy track, which sums up much of the album’s lyrical theme: “I want to feel the same as I did when I was younger, with a mind that was easy to take”. Backed by strong, colourful instrumentation, Croll skilfully captures the emotional angst of teenage years.